Local API Server

Jan provides an OpenAI-compatible API server that runs entirely on your computer. Use the same API patterns you know from OpenAI, but with complete control over your models and data.

Features

OpenAI-compatible - Drop-in replacement for OpenAI API
Local models - Run GGUF models via llama.cpp
Cloud models - Proxy to OpenAI, Anthropic, and others
Privacy-first - Local models never send data externally
No vendor lock-in - Switch between providers seamlessly

Quick Start

Start the server in Settings > Local API Server and make requests to http://localhost:1337/v1:

curl http://localhost:1337/v1/chat/completions \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -d '{
    "model": "MODEL_ID",
    "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}]
  }'

Documentation

API Reference - Interactive API documentation with Try It Out
API Configuration - Server settings, authentication, CORS
Engine Settings - Configure llama.cpp for your hardware
Server Settings - Advanced configuration options

API Reference Learn how to get started with the API Reference

Integration Examples

Continue (VS Code)

{
  "models": [{
    "title": "Jan",
    "provider": "openai",
    "baseURL": "http://localhost:1337/v1",
    "apiKey": "YOUR_API_KEY",
    "model": "MODEL_ID"
  }]
}

Python (OpenAI SDK)

from openai import OpenAI

client = OpenAI(
    base_url="http://localhost:1337/v1",
    api_key="YOUR_API_KEY"
)

response = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="MODEL_ID",
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}]
)

JavaScript/TypeScript

const response = await fetch('http://localhost:1337/v1/chat/completions', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {
    'Content-Type': 'application/json',
    'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_API_KEY'
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    model: 'MODEL_ID',
    messages: [{ role: 'user', content: 'Hello!' }]
  })
});

Supported Endpoints

Endpoint	Description
`/v1/chat/completions`	Chat completions (streaming supported)
`/v1/models`	List available models
`/v1/models/{id}`	Get model information

Why Use Jan’s API?

Privacy - Your data stays on your machine with local models Cost - No API fees for local model usage Control - Choose your models, parameters, and hardware Flexibility - Mix local and cloud models as needed

Models Overview - Available models
Data Storage - Where Jan stores data
Troubleshooting - Common issues
GitHub Repository - Source code